Distorted Mirrors
by Goddess Tinian
Summary: Using the blood of the heroes, Cronus creates seven new teens to destroy them. Since they share blood, the new teens are easily able to find and track the heroes. Blood, however, is the only thing they share. The new teens are different...and deadly.
1. Chapter 1: Blood and Magic

_A/N: Hello everyone and welcome to the new and (I hope) improved version of Distorted Mirrors. I am Tinian I'att and since 4evacrazy has left fan fiction, I'll be writing this story along with HoneyGoddess57. I hope you all enjoy reading it._

_Disclaimer: We do not own Class of the Titans, but we wish we did._

Distorted Mirrors  
Chapter One  
Blood and Magic

It was a gorgeous day. The sun was shining brightly on the lush summer grass and the air still had the crisp coolness of early morning. Suddenly, the sounds of a pitched battle shattered the stillness. High on a hill outside New Olympia the seven heroes were fighting Cronus…again.

For the past few weeks, Cronus had been attacking the heroes more often than usual. This new aggressive attitude completely contradicted everything the heroes had come to expect from Cronus. Firstly, Cronus seldom fought the heroes himself. He usually sent his giants or some other creature to face them instead. Secondly, whenever the heroes did encounter Cronus on his own his primary objective was always to escape from them as soon as possible. This sudden change in behaviour was baffling. The heroes didn't have time to dwell on it, however, there were far more pressing concerns.

"You'll never win," Jay said as Cronus prepared to attack.

"We'll see about that," Cronus smirked.

He charged at Jay swinging his scythes in a wide arc, trying to box him in. Unfortunately, for Cronus, Jay was too quick, nimbly avoiding the strikes Cronus aimed at his head and legs.

Normally, this would have infuriated Cronus, but this time he was only mildly annoyed…because Jay was not his true target.

"You are your pathetic friends can't stop me," he taunted. "Look at them just standing there pitiful and afraid."

That last remark was too much for Archie. Snarling he pulled out his whip and charged Cronus.

"Archie stop!" Atlanta shouted.

Archie didn't listen. He wrapped his whip around one of Cronus' scythes and tried to yank it from him hand. Unfortunately, for Archie, his plan didn't work. Cronus yanked back and managed to pull Archie's whip from his hands. Then, laughing nastily, he used his other scythe to cut Archie's arm.

Archie jerked back clutching his injured arm. Blood seeped from between his fingers and he glared at Cronus with a look of pure hatred.

Now that he had what he wanted, Cronus saw no point in sticking around.

"Goodbye mortals," he called as he walked through a portal.

Jay stared at the spot Cronus had occupied mere seconds before and then slammed his fists against the ground in anger.

"We should have prepared more!" he exclaimed in frustration. "We should have trained harder! We should have…"

"Jay stop!" Theresa shouted. "You're not doing yourself or anybody else any favours focusing on what ifs and should haves."

"Theresa's right Jay," Atlanta chimed in. "We have more important things to worry about like figuring out what Cronus is up to."

Jay sighed. He knew his friends were right, but he couldn't help feeling frustrated by their inability to stop Cronus.

Shaking his head, Jay turned and headed toward Herry's truck.

"We'll head to the school," he decided. "We can Chiron to look at Archie's arm and then see if the gods have any idea what Cronus might be planning."

* * *

Hours later in a dark, musty cave hidden in the Rocky Mountains, Cronus grinned with pure delight. It had been raining all day in the mountains and trickles of water wove lazily through the rocks outside accompanied by the steady drip of rain at the cave's mouth. The clouds had cleared for the most part, the dark night sky appeared starless. The only light came from a small sliver of moon.

Cronus walked over to a natural stone shelf at the back of the cave. Seven glass vials rested on it, six of which contained a couple of drops of crimson fluid. Cronus picked up the seventh and pulled out the scythe he had used to cut Archie. He tapped it lightly against the vial and two thick drops of blood dripped into it. He had now collected the blood of all seven heroes and it was all fresh, not even a month old. If the blood had been any older, it would have been useless. That was why he had been attacking more often.

It was also the reason he had attacked the heroes himself. This mission was far too delicate and important to entrust to his incompetent giants or any similar creatures. This was something that required intelligence and finesse, things Cronus knew his usual minions definitely lacked.

There was only one thing left to do. Summoning his other scythe, Cronus used it to cut his finger and added some of his own blood to the vials.

It was 10:30. Cronus, being the god of time, didn't need a watch to know. In half an hour, his plan would finally come to fruition.

_Mortals_, he thought. _They always think that everything has to be done at the stroke of midnight under a full moon_. _That's nothing but a myth_.

Cronus set the seven glass containers down in a line at the mouth of the cave. He had chosen this particular spot because at exactly 11 o'clock, a small sliver of light would shine right at the entrance to the cave. Cronus sat as still as a marble statue and waited with a patience that only a god could have.

The thirty minutes passed swiftly and then it was time.

The pale white light of moon shone on the vials, sending light bouncing around the cave as it reflected off the glass. Cronus began chanting in ancient Greek, the words rolling off his tongue in a smooth and steady rhythm. He finished with a harsh staccato note releasing the magic.

The blood began spinning around rapidly as though trapped in a whirlpool. Cronus' blood mixed with the heroes' blood until they were undistinguishable. The contents of the vials turned shadowy and the blood began growing, expanding and twisting.

Under the light of the moon, the substance stretched and stretched until the vials were too small to hold what were once a few drops of blood. There was a loud shattering sound as they burst simultaneously.

The thick blood began to turn black and soon seven distinct forms began to take shape. The blood began to slow down and eventually stopped spinning.

Seven human-like figures stood before Cronus, but they were only shadows with substance. Then they began to shimmer and details and color started to appear. Finally, five girls and two boys stood before Cronus, fully clothed.

They each bore a striking resemblance to the hero whose blood they shared, but they weren't exact copies. Cronus didn't want perfect duplicates because they would only do the same thing as the originals. That was why he had added some of his own blood to the mix, to give each of these doppelgängers a certain essential darkness. The little bit of Cronus in each of them would ensure that they didn't give in to their better impulses and would ensure that the heroes couldn't turn them to their side. The last thing Cronus needed was 14 heroes on his trail.

The first teen was a tall girl with chocolate coloured eyes and light brown hair in a high ponytail that curled slightly at the ends. Her body was extremely curvy, her smile sadistic. She wore a black tank top; dark baggy pants held up with a large black belt, a pair of black combat boots (though only the toes were visible) and black leather fingerless gloves. Her facial features were soft, but her harsh expression gave her an air of cruelty.

Standing beside her was a short dark skinned girl. Even though she was small, she was well muscled and looked as if she wouldn't hesitate to fight. Her hair, which hung below her chest, was dark brown and very curly giving her the appearance of a poodle. Her dark eyes were emotionless, as though there was nothing behind them but a black void. She wore a short deep red dress with a dark blouse underneath, white knee socks and red shoes. She looked like a preppy style bully.

The next girl was also a brunette, but this one had olive skin and was heavier set than the others were. Her eyes were dark and sad, as though she had lived a life of sorrow, though her life had barely begun. Her straight dark hair hung in her eyes and to her shoulders and she had a dark purple bow on the back of her head. She wore a purple dress with dark frills and a corset style top, a thick black choker, purple lacy leggings and clunky dark purple boots. She had a frilly gothic appearance, emphasized by her sad face.

Standing beside the depressed looking girl was a lean boy with flamboyant, spiky red hair and hazel eyes. He looked…bored. He hunched his shoulders slightly and shoved his hands deep into his pockets. Despite his obvious boredom, there was a flirtatious gleam in his eyes. He wore a black t-shirt that emphasized his lean, muscular torso, black leather pants and black sneakers.

Next was a girl who looked like a full sized Barbie doll, tall, curvy, and underdressed. Her long blonde hair went down to just above her butt, where it flipped out at the ends. Her hair was perfectly styled with a pink clip holding some of it out of her face. She had steel grey eyes and extremely pale skin. She wore a fair amount of make-up as well. Her eyes were done up with eyeliner, mascara and pale pink eye shadow and she wore deep pink sparkly lipstick. She wore a pink V-neck tank top with ribbons and bows, a short pink skirt and pink high heels that gave her a bit of extra height. It looked as though someone had puked cheerleader all over her.

The boy standing next to Cheerleader Barbie had his arms folded across his chest and a look of utter distaste on his face. His expression suggested he'd rather be somewhere else and he was doing his best to stand away from the others. He had light red hair that was all over the place and bright green eyes. He wore a white t-shirt, a black leather jacket that was missing a sleeve, dark, ripped skinny jeans and black boots. He gave off an anti-social vibe and his entire body was tense as though he was ready to fight.

The final teen was a tall blonde girl with incredibly bright blue eyes. The devious smirk on her face made her look like she was constantly plotting something. Her hair was up in two high ponytails and she wore a black sweatband. She was wearing a baggy grey half sleeve shirt with a white skull on the front and red on the sleeves, a pair of baggy ripped jeans and scuffed up running shoes. Despite her baggy clothes, it was obvious that she had an amazing body.

The seven newly created teens stood perfectly still as Cronus looked them over.

"I see this worked well," he said grinning maliciously. "Those brats won't be bothering me much longer. What are your names?" he asked returning his attention to the seven unmoving teenagers.

"Jessica," the first one replied harshly, crossing her arms.

"Olivia," the dark skinned one responded, her eyes empty.

"Helen," the gothic girl stated in a monotone.

"Aaron," the first boy answered, his voice proud and cocky.

"Ariane," the Barbie doll giggled, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

"Taylor," the anti-social boy sniffed disdainfully.

"Nat," the devious blue-eyed girl informed him, grinning in a way that seemed designed to make those around her feel slightly insecure.

"Marvellous," Cronus approved, his eyes full of hunger, hunger for revenge.

He waved his hand and produced a holographic image of the seven heroes. "These are your enemies," Cronus explained, "Jay, Odie, Herry, Atlanta, Archie, Theresa, and Neil. Your job is simple. You must destroy them and this is how you're going to do it."

The rain started falling again outside the cave as Cronus began explaining his plan.

_A/N: I hope you liked what you read. Now please be kind enough to leave a review telling us what you think. We both really want to hear your opinions, so please take just a moment to share them with us. Thank you._


	2. Chapter 2: Unexpected Guests

**A/N: Hello there Class of the Titans fans. We are so sorry that we didn't update sooner, but we were extremely busy with other stuff. I know the second chapter was lame, but as you already know 4evacrazy, left and I didn't have any more ideas. Now Tinian I'att will do the story with me. She has added some bios for the heroes' doppelgängers (they are in our profile). Tinian I'att and I both had a hand in writing this chapter. I wrote the beginning and she wrote the scenes with the heroes and their doubles. We have also changed our name to Goddess Tinian. Okay enough talking time to get on with the show.**

Chapter Two  
Unexpected Guests

Rain was pouring outside the brownstone. Everyone was sleeping except for Jay and Theresa who were watching television. Jay, however, wasn't really paying attention to the show. He was too busy trying to figure out what Cronus was planning.

After that morning's disastrous fight against Cronus, the heroes had had a lengthy discussion with the gods, all of them trying to figure out Cronus' plan. Unfortunately, the gods had no idea what Cronus had in mind. At Jay's insistence, they'd spent most of the rest of the day researching possibilities in the secret wing's library, but by the end of the day, they were no closer to a solution.

"What are you thinking about, Jay?" Theresa asked.

"I'm trying to figure out what Cronus…oomph!" Theresa hurled a cushion at him, cutting him off.

"Can't you ever take a break?" she demanded.

"Come on Theresa," Jay responded defensively. "Don't you think we need to figure this out?"

"Of course," Theresa responded, "but it doesn't have to be right this second! You know Cronus, whatever he's planning we'll find out soon enough."

Jay sighed inwardly. He knew Theresa had a valid point, Cronus always showed his hand eventually, but just once he wanted to be a few steps ahead of the crazed god of time, instead of several steps behind.

The one thing that really confused Jay, though, was the way Cronus had behaved in the battle that morning. When Archie had attacked him, Cronus cut his arm and took off. Why hadn't he stayed and pressed his advantage? Why hadn't he killed Archie instead of just cutting him? It didn't make sense.

Jay closed his eyes in an effort to gather his thoughts. As he mulled over recent events, a sudden thought occurred to him. Several days earlier Cronus had staged another attack on the heroes and that time Cronus had cut him.

In fact, now that he thought about it, Jay realized that Cronus had cut all of them at some point over the last month. The question was why?

Jay recalled an incident several months earlier. Cronus had used Atlanta's blood to revive Lykon, a werewolf. However, if Cronus had needed only one heroes' blood to bring back Lykon what kind of monster might he unleash with all their blood?

Jay was about to voice his concerns when the doorbell rang. He glanced at the clock, two a.m. Who would be coming by at this time of night in this kind of weather? He looked at Theresa and he could tell she was thinking the same thing. Curious and concerned Jay got up and went to answer the door.

He was surprised to find seven teenagers standing outside, five girls and two boys. There was something familiar about them, but Jay couldn't figure out what.

The girl at the head of the group stepped forward and held out her hand. "My name is Jessica," she said, "and these are my friends, Olivia, Helen, Aaron, Ariane, Taylor, and Nat. We're new to the neighbourhood and we thought we'd stop by and say hello…"

Suddenly, Helen's fist connected with Jay's face.

"…and good-bye," Jessica finished as Jay hit the floor.

Turning to her followers, Jessica began issuing instructions. "You two," she said pointing to Aaron and Taylor, "take him," she gestured to Jay, "into the other room. The rest of you spread out and find the others."

Aaron and Taylor grabbed Jay by the arms and dragged him into the living room where Theresa was waiting.

"Who are you?" Theresa demanded when she saw them. "What's going on? What happened to Jay?"

"The same thing that'll happen to you if you don't shut up," Taylor snapped.

"Taylor, Taylor, Taylor that's no way to talk to a lady," Aaron admonished, "especially one as beautiful as this."

Releasing his hold on Jay, Aaron bowed extravagantly and attempted to kiss Theresa's hand.

"In your dreams," she scoffed snatching her hand away.

"Why you…" Furious at her rejection Aaron raised his hand to strike Theresa.

"What are you morons still doing here?" Jessica demanded, striding into the room as though she owned it. "You should be helping to round up the others."

Aaron ignored her, intent on getting revenge against Theresa for spurning his advances.

Jessica walked over to him, grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back.

"I said get moving," she hissed, turning him around and shoving him toward the door.

Aaron shot a parting glare at Theresa, then, stomped off.

Having dealt with Aaron, Jessica now turned her attention to Taylor.

"Well what are you waiting for an engraved invitation?" she demanded.

Taylor jerked his head in Theresa's direction as if to say my double's already here.

"Go and search her room," Jessica commanded. "Bring back weapons and anything else of value. Oh and search his room while you're at it," she added as he turned to go.

Taylor shrugged in acknowledgement and left the room.

Meanwhile, the other doppelgängers had moved throughout the brownstone, each one searching for his or her double.

Olivia wandered down to the basement where she found Odie slumped over in front of his computer. He'd fallen asleep working on some project or other.

Olivia wasted no time. She saw Odie's laptop sitting beside him, so she reached down to grab it. At almost the same time, Odie sat up and stretched. He turned his head and was startled to find an unfamiliar girl standing beside him, her hand resting on his laptop.

"Hey!" he exclaimed. "What do you think you're doing?"

"What does it look like?" Olivia sneered. "For someone who's supposed to be smart you sure are dumb."

"I beg your pardon," Odie gasped, shocked. "Who do you think you are?"

"I," Olivia answered grabbing Odie by the collar and dragging him upstairs, "am your worst nightmare."

Odie tried to break Olivia's grip, but she was stronger than she looked. He had no choice, but to go wherever she wanted.

Herry dreamt that he was falling, but he didn't expect to wake up on the floor. He was even more surprised to realize that someone was standing over him. She didn't look like anyone he'd ever met. At first, he thought he was still dreaming. However, that quickly changed when she grabbed his ankle and started dragging him toward the door.

Herry tried to grab onto something, but Helen moved so quickly he never had time to get a firm grip.

Once he left the living room, Aaron raced upstairs to Atlanta's bedroom. He saw her laser wrist crossbow sitting on her bedside table, so he took it and put it on. Then, he picked her up and slung her over his shoulder.

She woke up about halfway down the stairs and started punching him in the back. He ignored her and continued on his way.

At the same time, Ariane was sneaking into Archie's room. Unfortunately, Atlanta's struggle with Aaron ruined her quiet entrance. Archie jerked awake and fumbled for his whip, but Ariane was quicker and she got to it first.

With a flick of her wrist, Ariane wrapped Archie in his own whip and dragged him down the stairs.

Meanwhile, Taylor was retrieving Jay and Theresa's weapons from their rooms. He had just grabbed Jay's xiphos when he heard the commotion Aaron and Atlanta were causing. He walked out into the hallway and watched dispassionately as Helen, Aaron and Ariane hauled Herry, Atlanta and Archie away.

Moving to Theresa's room, he quickly determined that there was nothing of value but her nunchucks, which he quickly grabbed before heading back downstairs.

When he arrived in the living room, Taylor found Jessica in the act of securing their prisoners and wordlessly handed over Jay's weapon. By now, the living room was getting rather crowded with everyone accounted for but Neil and Nat. Someone had found some rope and now Odie, Herry, Atlanta, Archie and Theresa were sitting in a corner with their hands tied behind their backs. Jay, still unconscious, was lying on the floor a few feet away. Jessica hadn't bothered having him tied up since she didn't expect him to regain consciousness anytime soon. The five conscious heroes were shooting venomous glances in the direction of their captors while firing off questions at a rapid pace.

"Shut up!" Jessica shouted, fed-up with all the noise. "The next one who makes a sound is going to regret it!"

Suddenly, a piercing shriek filled the air, followed a few minutes later by the appearance of Nat and Neil.

Neil's howling roused Jay and he sat up groggily. He touched his nose gingerly, checking to see if it was broken. After determining that it wasn't, he turned toward the sound of the commotion and rolled his eyes.

"What's the problem, Neil?" he asked.

He could see they were in their living room, surrounded by seven strangers, the same seven he'd encountered at the door, but he didn't see anything to cause the blonde model such distress.

"She stole my mirror," Neil exclaimed, outraged, "and she's wrinkling my pyjamas!"

It was true that Neil's captor had the front of his shirt in a tight grip, but Jay didn't think this was the time to worry about such things. He was about to say as much, but Archie beat him to it.

"Neil," the purple haired warrior sighed, "in case you haven't noticed we've got bigger problems right now."

"Speak for yourself," Neil huffed. "These pyjamas are made of silk and they're very expensive."

"Boo hoo you're breaking my heart," Nat mocked.

"Yeah, put a sock in it pretty boy," Jessica added. "We don't have time for your nonsense."

Neil drew himself up to speak, but Jay cut him off.

"Please Neil, not now," he begged.

Neil still looked annoyed that no one was taking his complaints seriously, but he kept quiet.

"That's better," Jessica said approvingly. "Now we can get down to business."

"What is it you want?" Jay asked.

"Other than your weapons?" Jessica asked, fiddling with Jay's xiphos as she spoke.

"Yes," Jay replied, getting tired of Jessica's games.

"Oh, not much," Jessica replied, circling Jay slowly, "just these." She reached down and lifted Jay's pendant key over his head.

Holding it up, she turned and nodded to the rest of her team who wasted no time divesting the other six heroes of their keys.

"Well, now that we have everything we came for," Jessica declared smugly, "we'll be on our way."

The seven doppelgängers strode through the door and out into the rain swept night without so much as a backward glance.

Once they were gone, Jay started untying his friends.

"Hurry Jay, they'll get away," Theresa exclaimed.

"It doesn't matter we're not going after them," Jay responded.

"Why not?" Archie demanded.

"They have our weapons," Jay reminded everyone. "I don't know about you, but I have no desire to be cut apart by my own blade."

"What about our pendant keys?" Atlanta asked.

"They can't use them," Jay reminded her. "Don't worry," he added, seeing their distressed looks, "we'll get everything back. I'm sure we'll see them again soon."

_A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter and will show your appreciation in the form of a review. Thanks for reading, Tinian I'att_ _and_ **HoneyGoddess57_._**


	3. Chapter 3: The Plan

_A/N: Hi all, Tinian I'att here, I am so sorry we've kept you waiting 19 months for a new chapter, and I hope you find the wait was worth it. Enjoy._

Chapter Three

The Plan

"Come on," Jessica called once her gang left the brownstone.

"Where are we going?" Aaron demanded sullenly. He was still angry with Jessica for not letting him hit Theresa.

"We're going to find someplace to crash," Jessica snapped, fed up with Aaron's attitude.

"Why don't we just stay here?" Nat whined. "I'm tired."

"All right," Jessica agreed, smiling sweetly, "and then you can explain to Cronus how we got captured. Assuming, he comes to rescue us, of course."

Nat didn't bother to respond. She just turned away from the warmth and comfort the brownstone offered and headed down the cold rain-drenched street.

"Well, what are the rest of you waiting for?" Jessica barked. "Get moving!"

Reluctantly, the others hurried after her.

As they walked, Ariane and Nat kept up a never-ending stream of complaints, they were cold, they were wet, the rain was ruining their hair and clothes, they were hungry, their feet hurt. For nearly twenty minutes, they whined and moaned about everything.

Finally, Jessica couldn't stand it anymore.

"Enough!" she snarled, whipping out Jay's xiphos and stalking toward them. "If either of you makes one more sound I promise you'll be sorry!"

Ariane and Nat backed away from Jessica, their eyes wide with shock.

"We'll be quiet," Ariane squeaked.

"Not another sound," Nat promised.

"We should've stayed at the brownstone," Aaron grumbled suddenly.

"What did you say?" Jessica demanded turning to face him.

"I said we should've stayed at the brownstone," Aaron replied.

"Oh really," Jessica responded. "Then perhaps you'd like to go back?"

"Why shouldn't we go back?" Aaron argued. "The brownstone has everything we need, warm beds, food, even a television. I can't think of a single reason we shouldn't turn around and head back right now. Who's with me?"

He looked around, clearly expecting an enthusiastic response from the others. Instead, he received a collection of baffled stares, seconds before Jessica's fist connected with his face.

"What is your problem?" Aaron exclaimed from his new position on the ground.

"You are," Jessica spat back, "you and that empty space between your ears."

Furious, Aaron climbed to his feet and pointed Atlanta's stolen crossbow at Jessica's head. The rest of the group fell back while Jessica remained unmoving Jay's xiphos clutched tightly in her hand, waiting to see what he would do next. A heartbeat later, she had her answer when Aaron rashly decided to fire on her. Jessica easily deflected the bolt, sending it caroming off her blade and into the ground at Ariane's feet.

"Hey, watch it!" Ariane yelped jumping backward.

Aaron continued firing his stolen crossbow at Jessica, using his super speed to try to prevent her from deflecting the bolts. Unfortunately, running so fast made it difficult to aim accurately. Eventually, he was too tired to continue.

"Are you ready to listen now?" Jessica asked. "Or would you prefer to continue acting like a moron?"

"If that was acting it was an Oscar worthy performance," Olivia remarked snidely.

"Can the comedy," Jessica snapped, shooting Olivia a withering glare.

Olivia merely shrugged as if to say, "Hey it's not my fault you don't have a sense of humor."

Turning back to Aaron, Jessica continued to vent her anger at his disrespect for her position as leader.

"Were you paying any attention to what I told the blonde bimbo before we left the brownstone?" Jessica demanded fiercely.

"I am NOT a bimbo!" Nat screeched.

"Or does the possibility of being captured amuse you?" Jessica continued, ignoring Nat's interruption.

"Captured?" Aaron scoffed. "By who?"

"Whom," Olivia corrected automatically.

"What?" Aaron snarled.

"Captured by whom, not who," Olivia clarified.

"Whatever," Aaron muttered waving a hand dismissively. "The point is if all you're worried about is those wimpy do-gooders all we have to do is tie them up and lock them in the basement. Problem solved."

"Is that right?" Jessica responded.

"Yes it is," Aaron confirmed.

"Well, it sounds like you have everything worked out," Jessica conceded. "Perhaps we should go back."

Aaron's eyes widened in surprise, after all her earlier protestations he'd never expected Jessica to give in so readily or completely. He was so convinced he had won that he never noticed the small vindictive smile on Jessica's face.

"What are we waiting for, let's go!" Aaron declared.

Everyone started to follow Aaron back in the direction of the brownstone, talking excitedly about its various amenities.

"Oh!" Jessica suddenly exclaimed, pulling everyone up short.

"What's wrong?" Ariane asked, a little nervously.

"Oh it's nothing," Jessica answered breezily. "I'm sure Aaron's already worked out a plan to deal with her."

"With who?" Aaron asked, then, casting a sidelong glance at Olivia he hastily corrected, "I mean with whom?"

"Why Athena, of course," Jessica replied her eyes wide and her face the very picture of innocence. "You didn't forget about her, did you?"

It was a brilliant piece of work flawlessly executed by a master manipulator. Jessica had carefully led Aaron along, letting him think that he was winning, while giving him just enough rope to hang himself. Now she'd made him look like a fool in front of everyone, but that wasn't enough.

"You did forget about the heroes' immortal baby-sitter, didn't you?" Jessica pressed. Anyone else would have been content with the humiliation Aaron had already suffered, but Jessica refused to be satisfied until Aaron admitted his folly for everyone to hear.

"Yes," Aaron grumbled. Much as it galled him to admit it, he knew Jessica wouldn't let up until he did.

"Well then, I guess we won't be returning to the brownstone after all," Jessica announced, "unless, of course, someone else has a bright idea?" The look she gave them as she said it made it clear that anyone who did have an idea would be wise to keep it to themselves.

When no one offered any suggestions, Jessica gestured for them to follow her. With a chorus of frustrated sighs and several dirty looks sent in Aaron's direction, Olivia, Ariane, Aaron, Taylor, and Nat started to walk away from the brownstone once again.

"Hey, wait a minute where's Helen?" Nat asked.

She got her answer a few moments later. There was a terrific crash accompanied by the sound of breaking glass. Everyone turned to see Helen standing in front a broken convenience store window.

"What?" she demanded when she noticed everyone else staring at her. "I'm hungry and since we're not going back to the brownstone I might as well get something to eat here."

"She's got a point," Olivia muttered. "We might as well grab something to eat while we have a chance."

All eyes turned to Jessica and everyone tensed waiting to see if she would voice an objection. She didn't. She simply gestured for them to go ahead.

Everyone climbed eagerly through the broken window, careful not to cut themselves on the jagged glass. They spent the next few minutes happily browsing the shelves and by the time they left, they were heavily laden with chips, candy bars, soda, bottled water and anything else they could carry. Spirits high, they continued on their way and only a short time later they finally found a place to stop.

It was an abandoned apartment building scheduled for demolition, but still holding up well enough to make a decent temporary hiding place.

"This'll do," Jessica declared when she saw it.

If anyone had an objection, they were smart enough to keep quiet about it. Besides, by this point they were all too tired to care.

It was no problem getting into the building it was simplicity itself for Helen to break the flimsy lock on the door.

"All right," Jessica announced pointing to Olivia. "You're supposed to be the brains so use your smarts and pick the best place for us to crash."

Olivia rolled her eyes. _This is ridiculous_, she thought. _Just because I'm smart doesn't automatically mean I can pick the safest apartment for us to use_.

Wisely, however, she kept her mouth shut, choosing instead to lead the gang into the building and look for a suitable place to stay. Ultimately, she chose a first floor apartment with no windows facing the street that might betray their presence. She had no idea whether it was more structurally sound than the other apartments, but it seemed like a good choice.

Everyone soon settled in to eat their stolen snacks and before long, an almost festive atmosphere prevailed. Then, perhaps because he was bored and looking for a little after dinner entertainment or maybe because he was just vindictive, Taylor decided to stir up some trouble.

"Hey Ariane," he called.

"What?" the blonde haired girl asked, looking up from where she was snuggling with Aaron.

"Did you know that your boyfriend hit on Theresa?" Taylor inquired.

"He what?!" Ariane snarled.

Aaron had just enough time to shoot a look of absolute fury at Taylor before Ariane shoved him away and started pummeling every inch of him, she could reach.

"Ow, hey lay off!" he protested trying to get away from her.

Finally, Aaron managed to extricate himself from beneath Ariane's flailing fists. He didn't get far, however, before Ariane snatched up her stolen Hephaestus Whip and tangled his legs in it. Aaron crashed heavily to the floor and Ariane walked slowly toward him while he tried frantically to free himself. There was a murderous gleam in Ariane's eyes as she drew steadily nearer, which heightened Aaron's desperation.

"You miserable, two-faced, lying, cheating…" she howled, as she got closer.

"Baby, please just give me a chance to explain!" Aaron pleaded.

"You really think you can explain your way out of this?" Ariane demanded. "You snuck around behind my back and hit on another woman! How would you like it if I hit on…on Taylor!"

"Try it and you'll be sorry," Jessica growled.

"Come on," Aaron tried again, "you know you're the only girl for me."

"Yeah," Taylor chimed in, "and besides Theresa turned him down flat."

The look Aaron shot Taylor was almost as murderous as the one Ariane was giving him. At last, Aaron managed to free his legs and raced around the room at top speed while Ariane hurled insults and soda cans at him.

Then, whether because she was bored or because she was afraid, the noise would attract unwanted attention, Jessica decided enough was enough. She stuck out a leg as Aaron came whizzing by, tripping him and sending him sprawling to the floor. She watched with satisfaction as Ariane hurried over and delivered a couple of well-placed kicks to Aaron's ribs before climbing to her feet.

"All right, that's enough," she commanded, grabbing Ariane's arm and pulling her away from Aaron's prostrate form. "As enjoyable as all this is, it's time for us to discuss our plan."

"What plan?" Nat asked. "I thought we were supposed to meet Cronus in the morning, take him to the school, and use the pendant keys to give him access to the gods' hidden sanctuary so he can destroy them and the heroes in one fell swoop."

"That's right," Jessica answered, "but that's _Cronus'_ plan, I said we need to discuss _our_ plan."

"So what is _our_ plan?" Olivia asked.

"First," Jessica began, "we have to get rid of Cronus."

"Why?" Helen interrupted. "I thought Cronus was on our side."

"Then you thought wrong," Jessica informed her. "We serve under Cronus' direction and at his sufferance. The moment we cease to be useful he'll destroy us to keep us from rebelling against him. He won't want to risk us becoming a threat." She paused for a moment to let her words sink in.

"What can we do about it?" Nat grumbled. "He's a god we wouldn't stand a chance."

"You're forgetting your history," Jessica admonished, "or at least your double's. Think about it, we have something here that will allow us to take the powers of Cronus and all the other gods, something that will make us all-powerful."

"Really, what?" Nat inquired eagerly.

"Me," Taylor answered. Seeing the confused looks on their faces he rolled his eyes and sighed, "Don't you remember what happened with Theresa just a few months ago? How she used her powers to summon up a phantom that stole the gods' abilities and gave them to her? How she defeated Cronus and nearly destroyed Zeus in an effort to return to her normal life?"

"What does any of that have to do with you?" Helen scoffed. "You're not Theresa and I doubt she's going to agree to help us."

"I may not be Theresa," Taylor responded, glowering, "but I am her double. I have all her powers and all her memories. I can summon a phantom to steal the gods' powers for myself. Just watch!"

Taylor closed his eyes and focused, channeling his power. Within moments, a massive cloud of dark energy rose from his body. In most respects, it resembled the phantom Theresa had summoned, but it was larger and while hers had been purple, his was as black as a starless night.

He smiled maliciously as he set the demon-like projection drifting about the room, delighting in the nervousness it caused among the others. This went on for several minutes with Taylor occasionally sending his phantom swooping down at someone, eliciting more than a few shrieks.

Finally, however, Jessica grew weary of her boyfriend's antics and decided to put a stop to them.

"All right, knock it off," she snapped.

In response, Taylor sent his phantom diving at Jessica, but she just stood there and let it come at her, then, never flinching, she brushed it aside as if it was nothing more than a puff of smoke.

"I said, knock it off," she snarled.

Grumbling, Taylor reluctantly called the phantom back and within moments, it merged seamlessly with its creator. Satisfied, Jessica turned to address her troops.

"Everyone get some sleep," she ordered, smiling wickedly. "We have a big day tomorrow."

Exhausted, this was an order everyone was happy to obey. Aaron got to his feet, and, arms wrapped around his injured ribs, shot a pleading look at Ariane. Ignoring him, she stalked across the room and stretched out near Helen, Olivia, and Nat with her back to Aaron. Sighing, Aaron picked out a spot for himself, as far from Ariane and her obvious hostility as possible, and lay down. Soon, everyone had settled in for the night and silence prevailed.

However, while everyone was quiet, not everyone was asleep. Taylor lay awake in the darkness, formulating his own plan, a plan that did not include any of his so-called teammates, not even his supposed girlfriend, Jessica. He'd teach her to give him orders. Daybreak would bring unexpected changes to the city of New Olympia and by day's end Taylor intended to leave no doubt that, he was the only one in charge on this team.

_A/N: I hope you liked this chapter and appreciated the bit of foreshadowing at the end. I promise they'll be another update soon._


	4. Chapter 4: The First Betrayal

_A/N: Hey everybody, it's Tinian I'att. Once again, I find myself apologizing for the prolonged wait for this chapter. Please believe me when I say that these delays are not intentional. Unfortunately, I had a hard time figuring out how to start this chapter and I had to wait until something finally came to me. I hope you enjoy it._

Chapter Four  
The First Betrayal

The next morning dawned clear and sunny, but no one in the brownstone was in the mood to enjoy it. After their attackers had gone, Jay had managed to convince everyone to go to bed, but they were all so worried about what had happened that they all slept badly. They had gathered in the kitchen bleary-eyed and at a loss to explain the events of the night before.

They problem as Jay saw it, was that there were entirely too many unanswered questions.

_Who were their mysterious assailants_? he wondered. They obviously weren't just a street gang looking for some quick cash or trying to spread some fear and intimidation in the neighborhood. They had clearly known exactly what they wanted and they couldn't have stolen the items they'd taken anywhere else.

They were other questions too. How had these seven strangers learned where the team lived? It seemed very unlikely that they'd knocked on every door in town until they found the right place. Obviously, they'd known exactly where to go to get what they wanted.

Then there was the most difficult question, why had these unidentified teenagers stolen the weapons and pendant keys? The weapons at least, made some sense. Whoever their enigmatic aggressors were, they could use them, but the pendant keys were another matter altogether. Hephaestus had specifically coded each key to its wearer's DNA, making it impossible for anyone else to use it. It wasn't logical for someone to steal the keys, but their perplexing antagonists had done exactly that. Why? Why take something you couldn't use and weren't planning to sell? That they didn't intend to sell the keys seemed obvious, if they were looking for items to sell there were much more valuable things at the brownstone they could've stolen, things that would attract far less attention than the unique pendant keys.

Jay realized that there were too many questions for him or his friends to answer. There was only one solution, they would have to contact the gods and see if they could shed some light on this mystery.

"We need to go to the school," Jay announced. "We need to replace our weapons and pendant keys and we need to talk to the gods."

The others turned to look at him.

"How are we supposed to get into the school's secret wing without a pendant key?" Theresa asked.

"We'll use a PMR to contact them," Jay answered. "They can send Athena to teleport us to the school."

"Too bad she was there instead of here last night," Neil grumbled, still miffed about the wrinkles his attacker had supposedly left in his pajamas.

"Well fortunately she can get back here in a hurry," Jay commented pulling out his PMR, "so everyone get dressed we've got work to do."

While Jay placed his call, everyone else hurried to get ready. By the time Athena arrived, everyone was dressed and ready to go. Jay gave Athena a brief account of the events of the previous night. After hearing what had happened, Athena was quick to transport them to the relative safety of the school's secret wing.

Once they arrived, they headed straight for Hera's solarium where they found the other gods waiting for them.

"Jay what happened?" Hera asked when she saw his face, which Helen's punch had bruised.

"We had a run-in with some unexpected guests at the dorm last night," Jay explained. "There were seven of them, five girls, and two guys. They showed up at two o'clock this morning and stole our weapons and pendant keys."

"What?" Hera gasped.

"Why would they take the pendant keys?" Hermes asked, sounding flustered.

"No idea," Jay replied, "but from the way they acted it was pretty clear they knew what they were looking for and where to find it."

"Well for one thing they seemed to know their way around the dorm," Theresa offered.

"What do you mean?" Jay asked.

"Think about it," Theresa answered. "From the moment they walked through the door they acted like they had some kind of plan. The way they came after us, it was like each one had a specific target. Well, all except that one girl."

"Which girl?" Jay interrupted.

"The ringleader," Theresa responded, "the one who spent all her time barking orders and then took your pendant key."

"Jessica," Jay muttered mostly to himself.

"How do you know her name?" Theresa asked.

"She was kind enough to introduce herself and her friends before I got decked," Jay responded. Turning to Odie he asked, "What did the one who accosted you look like?"

"It was the same girl who took my pendant key," Odie responded.

"Same here," the others responded in quick succession.

"Okay," Jay began his mind working furiously, "each of us was attacked by the same person who stole our pendant key, except me. I got clobbered by the girl who took Herry's key, Helen."

"In that case you're lucky she didn't break all the bones in your face," Theresa informed him.

"Why?" Jay inquired.

"I saw her bring Herry into the living room," Theresa replied. "She was dragging him by one ankle."

"Yeah," Herry confirmed. "I'm pretty sure she was at least as strong as I am."

Jay stared at Theresa and Herry too shocked to speak.

"Did anyone else notice similarities between themselves and their assailants?" he asked after several seconds.

"Well, the girl who attacked me did kind of look like me," Odie responded. "In fact, now that I think about it they all kind of looked like us."

Jay's brain went into overdrive as he began fitting the pieces together. Bit by bit things were becoming clearer, but it was Odie's next comment that ultimately solidified things.

"If I didn't know better I'd swear they were our doppelgängers or something," he said.

"Doppel-what's?" Herry asked.

"Doppelgängers," Odie repeated, "it's like a double."

"Like a clone?" Herry asked.

"No," Odie responded. "A doppelgänger isn't an exact copy it's more like a person who bears a physical or behavioral resemblance to another person. Those people whoever they are and wherever they come from aren't our exact doubles, but they do have abilities that are similar if not identical to ours."

"So where did these guys come from?" Atlanta asked.

"Cronus, where else," Jay replied.

Theresa opened her mouth to respond, but Jay held up a hand to forestall her.

"Think about it," he continued. "Cronus has attacked us more frequently in the last month than he ever has and what is the one thing he did or tried to do each time?"

The others exchanged puzzled glances, unable to divine what Jay was driving at.

Sighing with frustration, Jay rolled up his sleeve and ran one finger down the length of a half-healed cut on the inside of his left forearm. This action prompted a similar response in his friends, who each reached unconsciously for a spot where they had received an almost identical injury.

"He cut us," Archie answered at last.

"Right," Jay acknowledged. "Cronus cut all of us at some point this last month, in fact, he cut Archie just yesterday. Can you honestly tell me that you believe that our fight with Cronus yesterday and the sudden appearance of these doppelgängers is all just a coincidence?"

"Cronus did seem to be trying to draw us out the last time he attacked," Theresa conceded, "and he probably guessed that calling us pitiful and afraid would be enough to provoke a reaction."

"Yeah a reaction from me," Archie muttered. "And I played right into his hands."

"Don't feel bad, Archie," Atlanta said. "It could've happened to anyone."

"It did," Jay pointed out. "If you think about it, nearly every time Cronus attacked he did something that, looking back was clearly intended to draw one of us out. He attacked someone he knew one of us would feel compelled to defend or said something he knew would make one of us so angry they'd rush to attack him without thinking."

"Okay," Herry said, sounding confused, "but what does this have to do with those doppel-whatever-they-ares?"

Jay turned to Hera. "Is it possible," he asked her, "that Cronus could have used our blood to create these doubles?"

Hera took several minutes to consider the question. "It is possible," she answered, "difficult, but possible."

"But if Cronus used our blood to make them, then why don't these doppelgängers or whatever they are, look exactly like us?" Neil asked.

All eyes turned to the blonde model, as though surprised that he was the one who had asked such an insightful question.

"What?" Neil demanded defensively.

"Cronus probably added something to our blood to alter it," Jay suggested, "maybe even some of his own blood. After all, he wouldn't want seven exact duplicates of us running around."

The others nodded their agreement, Jay's assessment made perfect sense and besides they had a much more pressing issue to deal with, as Theresa was quick to remind them.

"What about our pendant keys?" she asked. "If Cronus used our blood to bring them into being, doesn't that mean our doppelgängers can use them?"

Looking grim, Hera nodded. "If they share your DNA," she answered. "Then yes, I'm afraid that's exactly what it means."

* * *

Meanwhile, completely unaware that they were the subject of an intense discussion by their foes, Jessica and her gang were heading for their rendezvous with Cronus. In a park across town from the high school, they found the god of time waiting for them in the shadow of some trees.

"Where have you been?" he snapped as they halted in a ragged semicircle in front of him.

"What's it to you?" Aaron demanded sullenly.

Jessica shot him a look that clearly meant, _Shut up you moron_.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting master," she said, "but some of us," she paused, shooting a glare at Nat, "are not morning people."

"Never mind your excuses," Cronus snarled, though he too shot a look in Nat's direction. "Were you successful?" His expression promised dire consequences if he didn't get the answer he wanted.

In response, the seven teenagers reached beneath their shirts and produced the stolen pendant keys.

"Excellent," he praised, a malicious smile on his face. "At last I will have my victory. At last I will be rid of those accursed brats forever!"

"Yeah about that," Jessica began as she and the others tucked their pendant keys out of sight, "there's been a change of plans."

"What do you mean?" Cronus growled his voice low and dangerous.

"Well," Jessica continued, "the way we see it we did all the work, we took all the risks, and we're the ones who can use these keys, so why do we need you?"

"I created you," Cronus reminded her, "and I can destroy you just as easily!"

"Maybe," Jessica agreed, "but I don't think you will."

"Oh and why is that?" Cronus inquired.

"You need us," Jessica stated simply. "You need us to help you get to our enemies and you need us to help you eliminate them."

"I am a god!" Cronus thundered, attracting stares from several passers-by, all of whom hurried away at the sight of his murderous glare.

"Yes, you are," Jessica agreed, "but that doesn't seem to have helped you defeat Jay and his pathetic friends. You're supposed to have all these amazing powers, so why haven't you used them? Why haven't you blasted your enemies to dust?"

"You dare to question my power?" Cronus snarled.

"Yes, I do," Jessica confirmed breezily, "because we both know you don't have any real power. All you can do is summon up other creatures to do your bidding or portals so you can escape. Face the facts, you need us, but we don't need you."

Cronus stood there breathing hard his face a mask of furious rage. Ignoring him, Jessica turned to Taylor.

"Do it," she commanded.

Cronus stared blankly at them both for a moment, his expression one of complete puzzlement. His expression changed instantly to panic, however, when Taylor's black phantom rose into the air.

"No!" he exclaimed, backing away his eyes wide. "You can't do this to me! I created you! I am your master!"

"Not anymore," Jessica responded coldly as Taylor's phantom swooped down upon the terrified god and stole his powers.

Taylor's phantom drifted almost lazily away from Cronus looking larger and darker than before as if it had just enjoyed a particularly satisfying meal.

"What now?" Taylor asked, sounding bored, as the phantom merged with him.

"What else," Aaron responded, "we head over to the school and take out the other gods and those whiny goody-goodies."

"Not quite yet," Jessica informed them. "First, we're going to arrange a little surprise for our troublesome doubles, something to keep them busy while Taylor deals with the gods."

"A monster?" Ariane asked hopefully.

"Oh not just any monster," Jessica replied, a cruel smile twisting her features, "the mother of all monsters."

"You don't mean?" Nat gasped.

"Oh yes," Jessica responded her smile growing wider as she turned to Taylor and said, "summon Echidna."

_A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The wait for the next one should be much shorter since I've already started working on it. For those of you who've read Little Miss __Illusional__'s story "Series Three, Episode One: The War Goes On" I am well aware that she used Echidna in her story, but I asked her and she's fine with me using Echidna too. I don't want anyone to think I'm stealing her idea. For those of you who haven't read her story…what are you waiting for?_


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